Christmas Countown To Do List

ONE week till Christmas! I have created this to do list of festive activities to keep us busy until Christmas Eve:

1) Yesterday Ellie and I made homemade ornaments while Summer napped. I used this Salt Dough Recipe. I had to add more water for the dough to stick together. I took out the bag of Christmas cookie cutters I received from my Aunt Mary as part of my bridal shower gift and Ellie picked out the ones she wanted to use. We made 17 ornaments and I used plastic straws to create a hole at the top of each. Following the recipe, I cooked the ornaments in the oven for 20 minutes and turned once at 10 minutes.

We made these for a play date yesterday afternoon that we ended up having to reschedule because it started snowing and driving wasn't great. Ellie and I will probably paint a few today and save the rest for Friday when her friends come over.

2) I am inspired by these Pinterest crafts and they would make cute gifts:

3) We also have another fun play date scheduled for tomorrow to decorate Christmas cookies.

4) I wanted to paint a plate for Santa's cookies at our local pottery shop, but I'm not sure we have enough time to get it back by Christmas Eve. If we don't do it this year it would be something to keep in mind for next year. 

5) My husband and I are planning on taking the girls this week to see this Light Display we have seen the past few years:

Christmas, 2012

6) We are also going to see Santa this afternoon. I am positive Summer will cry since she is going through the separation anxiety stage so she cries with anyone else, but me or her Dad, and this will include Santa I am sure. I told Ellie if she sits on Santa's lap he will give her a candy cane. She asked if we would be sitting on his lap, too. So, we will see how it goes this year!

7) I also want to watch Love Actually, It's a Wonderful Life, and a Christmas Story- my three favorite Holiday movies. Every Christmas Eve growing up I would watch It's a Wonderful Life with my family. Now that we have families of our own we don't get to watch it together, but it's definitely one I will carry on with my children. Three movies is a lot to watch in a week when there is last minute shopping to be done and wrapping gifts. I will watch them the week after Christmas, though, when I will have much more time to relax.

8) Donate toys the girls don't play with anymore. I also have a bag of clothes to donate. We will be doing this today!

Do you have anything festive planned before Christmas arrives?